Fences of Abundance

Rewilding Brooklyn One Fence at a Time

"How are we going to fall in love with the world if we don't pick berries?"

— Robin Wall Kimmerer

THE VISION

Imagine this: You're walking to the subway on a hot July morning when you notice raspberries hanging through a fence—deep red, sun-warmed, perfectly ripe. You pick one. It bursts with sweetness on your tongue. A kid walking with their mom stops: "Can we really pick these?" The mom reads the sign: "Fence of Abundance - Please Harvest & Enjoy." They fill their hands with berries, laughing.

This is what we're building. Not lectures about biodiversity. Not signs that say "Don't Touch." But moments of unexpected delight where nature gives freely and people receive with joy.

Fences of Abundance transform underutilized urban spaces into thriving ecosystems that feed both pollinators and people—creating those magical moments when the city surprises you with its generosity.

Why fences?

Brooklyn has thousands of fence lines—along schoolyards, community gardens, parks, residential properties. Most sit empty or are planted with non-native ornamentals that offer little to wildlife.

What if every fence became habitat?

  • Native fruiting plants (raspberries, serviceberries, elderberries, blueberries) provide food for people AND wildlife

  • Hollow stems offer nesting sites for native bees

  • Year-round interest with spring blossoms, summer fruit, fall color, winter structure

  • Pollinator corridors connect fragmented urban habitats

  • Community engagement through harvesting and care

One fence becomes an ecosystem.

Many fences become a movement.

THE PROTOTYPE: PS9 Brooklyn

Our first Fence of Abundance was installed at PS9 in Prospect Heights in Fall 2023. Native blueberries and raspberry plants now line a section of the schoolyard fence anchored by a fig tree, creating:

✓ Habitat for native bees nesting in pruned canes
✓ Fresh fruit for students, families, and neighbors to harvest
✓ Hands-on learning as kids observe pollinators and seasonal cycles
✓ Community connection as people stop to pick berries and ask questions

This prototype proves the model works. Now we're ready to scale.

WHERE WE'RE HEADED

Winter 2025-26: Strategic Planning

Thanks to a grant from Village & Wilderness, we're developing the strategic plan to expand Fences of Abundance across Brooklyn. This winter we're:

  • Mapping potential sites - schools, community gardens, parks, partner locations

  • Selecting plant species - native fruiting species suited to Brooklyn conditions

  • Developing installation protocols - planting, maintenance, community engagement

  • Creating educational programming - connecting Fences to school curriculum

  • Building partnerships - identifying property owners and community allies

Spring 2026 and Beyond: Installation & Growth

  • Install 3-5 new Fences of Abundance at partner schools and community spaces

  • Train community members in care and harvesting

  • Document ecological and community impact

  • Develop replicable model for citywide adoption

  • Create "Adopt a Fence" program for ongoing community stewardship

Made Possible By

Brooklyn Rewilders is grateful to Village & Wilderness for their strategic grant supporting the development of our Fences of Abundance microhabitat program. Their investment in urban rewilding is helping us transform how Brooklyn communities experience nature's abundance.

WHAT MAKES FENCES OF ABUNDANCE SPECIAL

  • There's something profound that happens when you encounter free food growing wild in the city:

    Surprise - "Wait, I can just... take these?"
    Delight - The taste of a sun-warm berry you picked yourself
    Connection - Stopping to harvest creates spontaneous conversations with strangers
    Wonder - Children's eyes going wide: "These grew HERE?"
    Gratitude - Receiving nature's gift without transaction
    Shift - Suddenly seeing your neighborhood differently—what else is possible?

    Robin Wall Kimmerer calls this the gift economy—when nature gives and we receive, we naturally want to give back. Not because we have to, but because reciprocity is the heartbeat of relationship.

    A fence covered in raspberries doesn't just feed people. It feeds possibility.

    • Native plants support 10-100x more wildlife than non-natives

    • Hollow raspberry canes provide essential nesting habitat for native bees

    • Creates corridors connecting fragmented urban habitats

    • Supports birds, butterflies, beneficial insects year-round

    • Free, accessible fresh fruit for neighbors

    • Intergenerational harvesting brings people together

    • Children learn where food comes from

    • Edible landscapes normalize urban food production

    • Living classrooms for observing pollination, seasonal cycles, plant-animal relationships

    • Connects abstract ecology concepts to tangible experiences

    • Students become teachers, sharing knowledge with families

    • Community receives nature's gifts

    • Community gives care in return

    • Models relationship-based conservation, not separation

THE PLANTS

Native fruiting species we're working with:

  • Raspberries (Rubus species)

    Multiple harvests June-October, long flowering season feed pollinators, dead stalks become bee nesting habitat.

    Photo © Teresa Jegelewicz Mayfield-Meyer/iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 some rights reserved

  • Blueberries (Vaccinium species)

    July-August fruit, spring flowers for pollinators. Blueberries are vital for a wide variety of wildlife.

    Photo © Tom Scavo/iNaturalist · CC by some rights reserved

  • Serviceberries (Amelanchier species)

    June fruit beloved by birds and humans, with its early spring blooms, is essential for early risers like bumblebee queens.

  • Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis)

    August-September fruit, important bird food

    Photo © Barrett Coller Jr./iNaturalist · CC by some rights reserved

  • Beach Plum (Prunus maritima)

    Late summer fruit, beautiful spring flowers.

    Photo © Tom Norton/iNaturalist · CC by some rights reserved

SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT

There are many ways to help us grow corridors of abundance across Brooklyn and beyond.

Get Your Hands Dirty

Join our community of volunteers helping transform Brooklyn one fence at a time.

Give

Your support enables Brooklyn installations, grows the network, and makes the protocol and resources freely available to communities everywhere.

Ways to give

Bring It to Your School

Garden-based education programs for NYC public schools Email us: brooklynrewilders@gmail.com

Partner With Us

Research collaborations, institutional partnerships, major support Reach out: brooklynrewilders@gmail.com

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Fences of Abundance isn't just about fruit—it's about transforming how urban residents relate to nature.

When a child picks a raspberry from a fence on their walk to school, they're participating in an ecosystem. When neighbors gather to harvest elderberries, they're building community. When native small carpenter bees nest in raspberry canes, we're restoring habitat.

Brooklyn is the ultimate test case. If we can create thriving ecosystems where wildlife and people flourish together in one of the world's densest urban environments—where every square foot is contested, where "nature" is supposed to be something you visit in parks—then it can be done anywhere.

We're building the proof that cities aren't the opposite of nature. They can be places where both humans and wildlife thrive, where abundance is accessible, where a fence isn't just a boundary but an invitation.

One fence at a time, we're reimagining what's possible in Brooklyn.

Will you help us build it?

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